Apparatus for use in the manufacture of sulfuric anhydrid and the like.



E. L. WILKE.

APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULFURIG ANHYDRID AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED OCT- 4. I916.

1 ,270,997. Patented July 2, 1918.

a blower or pump C of an UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRWIN In mu, 0] BUFFALO, rrnw YORK.

APPARATUS FOR USE III THE MANUFACTURE OF SULFUBIG ANHYDBID AND THE m.

Specification of Letter! Patent.

Patented J uly' 2, 1918.

Application filed October 4, 1918. Serial Illo. 128,880

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enwm L. Wnam, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bufl'alo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in A aratus for Use in the Manufacture of Sn fiiric Anhydrid and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ap aratus for use in the manufacture of sulfuric anhydrid, sulfuric acid, and the like from the gases of ore roasting furnaces or kilns in the presence of a contact mass or catalytic agent.

The objects of the invention are to produce an improved and simplified apparatus of this kind in which the incoming gases from the roasting furnaces or kilns are converted into sulfuric anhydrid, sulfuric acid and the like without any previous treatment or purifying process; also to provide a convertmg apparatus which is so constructed as to distribute the incoming gases uniformly to all parts of the contact mass; also to provide an apparatus in which the temperature at which t e conversion takes place can be regulated as desired and in which the heat produced during the conversion is absorbed to a lar e extent by the incoming gases; also to provi e a converting apparatus which is so constructed as to remove dust and solid matter from the incoming gases 5 also to improve the construction and operation of apparatus of this kind in other respects hereinafter speci- In the accompanying drawin Figure 1 is a plan view, partTy in section, of an apparatus embodying the invention.

F 1g. 2 is an elevation thereof, partly in section.

A A represent dia ammatically a plurality of ore-roasting urnaces, kilns, or the like which may be of any suitable or usual construction and which are preferably connected to a common pipe or flue B through which the gases may be forced by means of desired kind.

The gases which leave t e kilns A A, and which contain sulfurous and sulfuric acid gases (SO and S0,), pass through the ipe into the converting apparatus. his apparatus comprises an outer annular dust separating chamber D, an inner contact chamber E, which contains the contact mass, which may consist of burnt ore or cinder-s, s ent pyrites, iron oxid, or any other suita le material. The outer chamber of the converting apparatus has an outer wall (1 in which the pipe or flue B terminates in such a manner as cause the gases from the kilns to enter tangentially into the annular chamber D, in which dust or particles of solid material are removed from the gas. The gases from the flue B enter the annular chamber below the upper portion thereof, preferably about midwa between the top and bottom of the chem er, and pass from the outer chamber into the contact chamber throu h a plurality of passages c formed in a wafi e which is pre erably made of fire resisting material and which separates the inner and outer chambers. These passages conduct the gases from the upper portion of the dust separating chamber to the lower.

portion of the contact chamber, and preferably a plurality of passages are provided in the wall 6 arranged at short intervals from each other so that the gases entering the contact chamber will pass to all parts 0 the contact mass. By means of these passages in the dividing wall e the gases entering the contact chamber readily absorb'heat from the dividing wall, and by locating the passages adjacent to the inner portion of the wall, eificient use is made of the heat generated during the reaction in the contact chamber.

The gases passing into the outer chamber D from the flue B are freed from dust, partly through the centrifugal action due to the rotary movement of the gases in the annular chamber, and partly owing to the fact that the gases, entering from the flue into the relatively large annular space, move slowly enough to permit the dust to separate by gravity, since the gas flows slowly in an upward direction in this chamber. The contact mass within the contact chamher is heated to the temperature at which the best results are obtained, and as the gases pass through the contact mass, the sulfur dioxid is changed to sulfur trioxid.

e conversion of the sulfur dioxid produces heat which, with the use of the apparatus shown, is sufficient to continue the conversion of S0,. to SO without any additional heat other than that contained in the gases leaving the ore-roasting furnaces. As the gas passes through the annular chamber D and the passages e, it absorbs heat which has passed through the wall of the contact chamber, so that the heat liberated in the conversion is used to heat the incoming V the contact mass, a

produced in the fact that if the pressure is increased, a-

furnace or heater which may .fed into and dischar gases. The construction of the chamber is such that an eflicient use is made of the heat generated within the contact'chamber. The gases are discharged from the upper end of the contact chamber through a flue or passage 0'. s

In order to regulate the temperature of damper H 1s provided in the discharge .passage (2 which may be adjusted to control the flow of gas through the passage. By means of this dam r the pressure of gas within the contact c amber can be increased or decreased and the temperature of the contact mass is also dependent upon the pressure if the rate of flow.

is maintained substantially constant, since with greater plressure greater heat will be t e reaction, due probably to greater weight of gas is being acted upon y the contact mass if the volume of gas paming through the contact chamber is kept constant. Hence if it is desired to increase the temperature, the damper is actuated to decrease the opening through the flue e, andvice versa. G represents an auxiliary be used for supplying additional heat to the gases for starting the operation or for controlling the temperature of the contact mass, and 9 represents an adjustable damper for admitting an to the as'es for lowering the temperature thereof. he furnace G and damper 9 may also be employed for regulating the temperature of the contact mass. Other means for controlling the temperature of the mass and of the may be employed if desired. The cata y-tic or contact material may be from thecontact chamber by any suita 1e means, such as a feed hopper e at the up r end of the contact chamber, and a disc arge hopper e at the lower end of the contact chamber. 4' re resents dust hoppers at the lower end 0 the annular chamber D through which the dust collected in this chamber may be removed.

The flue e conducts the gases from the contact chamber into coolers I I of any suitable construction. Two of these coolers are shown in the drawings, but an desired number may be employed. If esired, a blower or pum K ma be employed to draw the gases t rou h t e flue e from the contact chamber. A ter the gases have been cooled, they enter the absorbers L of usual constructlon which contain strong sulfuric acid and in which the S0 gas is absorbed, three of these absorbers being shown in the construction illustrated. The gases not absorbed in the sulfuricacid of the absorbers may then be disposed of in any desired manner. In case no further use is to be made of these gases the can be discharged to the atmosphere. If esired, they may be passed through filters and driers M of any cter or reservoir, represented at N, from which the gases may be Withdrawn as desired.

.By means of the blower C, the gases can be forced through the contact chamber under pressure so t atgases, when bemg acted upon by the contact mass, are reduced in volume, thus increasing the capacity oi? the apparatus. The blower K may be om1tted if desired, or may be used in con unction with the blower G to force the gases under pressure through the absorbers, coolers, etc.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for use in the manufacture of sulfuric anhy the combination of an mner contact chamber, an outer chamber surrounding said 111- ner chamber, and a plurality of assages connecting said inner and outer c ambers and spaced at intervals about the circumference of said inner chamber to supply gas from said outer chamber to all portions of said inner chamber.

2. In an apparatus for use in the manufacture of sulfuric anhydrid and the hke, the combination of an inner contact chamber, an outer chamber surrounding said inner chamber, a dividin wall between said two chambers, and a p urality of assages connecting said two chambers, said passages bein formed in said dividing wall and opening at one end into the upper portion of said outer chamber and at t e other end into the lower portion of said contact chamher.

3. In an ap aratus for use in the manufacture of en furic anhydrid and the like, the combination of an inner contact chamber, an outer chamber surrounding said inner chamber, means for admitting gases to said outer chamber below the u per portion thereof and means for with rawing the gases from the upper end of said outer chamber and passin the gases to said contact chamber, where the dust is separated from the gases in said outer chamber.

4. In an apparatus for use in the manufacture of so furic anhydrid and. the like, the combination of all nmer contact chamber, an outer chamber surrounding said inner chamber, a dividing wall between said two chambers "means for admitting gases to the outeraglgamber below the upper portion, and p ages in said dividin wall through whicht e gases pass from t e upper portion of said outer chamber and discharge into the lower portion of said con tact chamber.

5. In an apparatus for use in the manufactors of sulfuric anhydrid and the like, the combination of an inner substantially cylindrical contact chamber, an outer annularchamb'er surrounding and contact chamdrid and the like,

, ceives a rotar her, a tangential inlet for admitting said gas to outer chamber whereb the gas remotion in sai outer chamber to cause t e dust to separate therefrom, and assages connecting said outer and in- I ner c ambers.

6. In an apparatus for use in the manufacture of sulfuric anhydrid and the like,

the combination of an inner substantially cylindrical contact chamber, an outer annular dust separating chamber surrounding a said contact chamber, and means for imparting a rotary movement to the as in said dust separating chamber, where the gas in. said outer chamber is freed rom dust and absorbs heat from said inher chamber.

7. In an apparatus for use in the manufacture of sulfuric anhydrid and the like, the combination of an inner substantially cylindrical contact chamber, an outer annular chamber surrounding sald contact chamher, a tangential inlet for admitting said gas to outer chamber below the upp tion thereof, and assages connecting said outer and inner c ambers and conducting the gas from the upper portion of said outer chamber.

8. In an apparatus for use in the manu- .facture of sulfuric anhydrid and the like,

the combination of an inner contact chamher, an outer annular chamber surrounding said contact chamber, a dividing wall between said chambers, means for admitting gas tangentially into said outer chamber beow the upper portion thereof, and a plurality of passages in said dividing wall termlnating at their upper ends in the upper portion of said outer chamberan'd at their other ends in the lower portion of said contact chamber.

9. In an apparatus for use in the manufacture of sulfuric anhydrid and the like,

the combination with means for su plying sulfur dioxid gas, of a contact c hamber adapted to contain a heated contact mass, means for lncreasing or decreasing the flow er porof s to said chamber, and means for contro ing the pressure of as in said contact chamber for increasinglt e temperature of the contact mass and t e gas by increasing the pressure of the gas and for decreasing thetemgerature of the contact mass an gas by ecreasing the pressure of the gas and by maintaining a su stantially constant rate of flow of gas through said mass.

10. In an a aratus for use in the manufacture of sur iric anhydrid and the like, the combination with means for supplying sulfur dioxid gas, of a contact chamber adapted to contain a heated contact mass, means for causing the gas to,flow through the contact mass in said chamber, a discharge passage for the gas leaving said confor forcing the as from said source into said contact cham er and through said contact mass, a discharge passage in said contact chamber for the gas'which has passed throu h said contact mass, and a damper in said ischarge passage which can be regulated for increasing and decreasing the 0 ening in said discharge passage for contro ing the pressure of gas in said contact chamber, the volume of gas passing through the contact mass bein kept substantially constant.

Witness my and, this 27th day of September, 1916.

ERWIN L. WILKE.

Witnesses:

J N0. A, BURT, Ronnn'r STELTOR.

It ishe'rehy' certified that in LetteraPatent No. l,270,997', granted July 2, 1918,

upon the application of Erwin Wilke, of Buffalo, New York, for an improvenient in "Apparatus for Use in the Manufacture of Sulfuric Anhy irid and the Like, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, lines 1 and 22, claims 5 and 7, strike out the word said; same page and claiins, lines and 23, before the word "outer insert the word said; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 6th da of August. A. 1)., 1918.

[SEAL] R. F. WHITEHEAD,

Acting Commissioner of Patenfs. 

